Late for the SkyThe Next Voice You Hear: The Best of Jackson Browne [Japan]Best of...Live/The Next Voice You Hear: The Best of Jackson BrownThe Very Best of Jackson BrowneSolo Acoustic, Vol. 1Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1 [Bonus Track]

Looking through some photographs I found inside a drawer
I was taken by a photograph of you
There were one or two I know that you would have liked a little more
But they didn't show your spirit quite as true

You were turning 'round to see who was behind you
And I took your childish laughter by surprise
And at the moment that my camera happened to find you
There was just a trace of sorrow in your eyes

Now the things that I remember seem so distant and so small
Though it hasn't really been that long a time
What I was seeing wasn't what was happening at all
Although for a while, our path did seem to climb
When you see through love's illusions, there lies the danger
And your perfect lover just looks like a perfect fool
So you go running off in search of a perfect stranger
While the loneliness seems to spring from your life
Like a fountain from a pool

Fountain of sorrow, fountain of light
You've known that hollow sound of your own steps in flight
You've had to hide sometimes, but now you're all right
And it's good to see your smiling face tonight

Now for you and me it may not be that hard to reach our dreams
But that magic feeling never seems to last
And while the future's there for anyone to change, still you know it seems
It would be easier sometimes to change the past
I'm just one or two years and a couple of changes behind you
In my lessons at love's pain and heartache school
Where if you feel too free and you need something to remind you
There's this loneliness springing up from your life
Like a fountain from a pool

Fountain of sorrow, fountain of light
You've known that hollow sound of your own steps in flight

You've had to hide sometimes but now you're all right
And it's good to see your smiling face tonight

Fountain of sorrow, fountain of light
You've known that hollow sound of your own steps in flight
You've had to struggle, you've had to fight
To keep understanding and compassion in sight
You could be laughing at me, you've got the right
But you go on smiling so clear and so bright

General Commentthis song freekin rocks, it's about jackson's first wife who died, but it could have been written about any relationship. the longing for someone who didn't quite feel the same way about you, the lingering loss and helplessness of watching that person go and knowing that there is nothing you can do",there's this loneliness springing up from your life like a fountain from a pool" it isn't said any better....

General CommentTo me, this song reminds me of someone I had fallen in love with when I was 17 years old. He had never really loved me as I did, but we had known each other since we were both 1-year-olds! He just wanted to be friends, of coarse. After highschool, we went our separate ways, and I still think of him every once in a while, and I call him to chat, but I still really love him. This song just describes how I felt for him perfectly, plus I'm a huge Jackson Browne fan!

General CommentThis song is beautiful and could be applied to any relationship like danielins said. Jackson Browne writes this for his wife who committed suicide.

Now for you and me it may not be that hard to reach our dreams,
But that magic feeling never seems to last.
And while the future's there for anyone to change,
Don't you know it seems
It would be easier sometimes to change the past.
I'm just one or two years, and a couple of changes behind you
In my lessons at love's pain and heartache school,
Where if you feel too free and you need something to remind you,
There's this loneliness springing up through your life
Like a fountain from a pool.

This verse is especially showing the pain he feels for not being able to pick up on the signs of pain his wife had shown. It also show the aftermath of the tragedy and how he is handling it.

The whole song speaks of a tragic story of a death, especially one he thought some of the control laid in his hands.